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The distant past is perhaps more tangible in Hampshire, Dorset and Wiltshire than in any other part of England. Predominantly rural, these three counties overlap substantially with the ancient kingdom of Wessex , whose most famous ruler, Alfred, repulsed the Danes in the ninth century and came close to establishing the first unified state in England. Before Wessex came into being, however, many earlier civilizations had left their stamp on the region. The chalky uplands of Wiltshire boast several of Europe's greatest Neolithic sites, including Stonehenge and Avebury , while in Dorset you'll find Maiden Castle , the most striking Iron Age hill fort in the country, and the Cerne Abbas Giant , source of many a legend. The Romans tramped all over these southern counties, leaving the most conspicuous signs of their occupation at the amphitheatre of Dorchester - though that town is more closely associated with the novels of Thomas Hardy and his distinctively gloomy vision of Wessex. None of the landscapes of this region could be described as grand or wild, but the countryside is consistently seductive, its appeal exemplified by the crumbling fossil-bearing cliffs around Lyme Regis , the managed woodlands of the New Forest and the gentle, open curves of Salisbury Plain . Its towns are also generally modest and slow-paced, with the notable exceptions of the two great maritime bases of Portsmouth and, to a lesser extent, Southampton , a fair proportion of whose visitors are simply passing through on their way to the more genteel pleasures of the Isle of Wight . This is something of an injustice, though neither place can compete with the two most interesting cities in this part of England - Salisbury and Winchester , each of which possesses a stupendous cathedral amid an array of other historic sights. Of the region's great houses, Wilton, Stourhead, Longleat and Kingston Lacy are the ones that attract the crowds, but every cranny has its medieval church, manor house or unspoilt country inn - there are few parts of England in which an aimless meander can be so rewarding. But if it's straightforward seaside fun you're after, Bournemouth leads the way, with Weymouth and Lyme Regis heading the ranks of the minor resorts, along with the yachties' havens over on the Isle of Wight.
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